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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Disagreeing with husband

62 replies

New30 · 13/04/2022 12:50

Hi

After multiple miscarriages and a difficult pregnancy our baby girl arrived over a week ago. The problem I now have is she ha no name. There is absolutely nothing that husband and I can agree on. He likes names that sound good in multiple languages, Cleo, Celia etc, I prefer plain and simple like Jenny and Charlotte. Help?!? How do we come to an agreement and can anyone suggest a name we might not of considered? I am getting really very upset by the situation

OP posts:
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mamabeeboo · 13/04/2022 15:06

I'm assuming the child is getting his last name? So you pick the first name!

MyEasterEggs · 13/04/2022 15:02

Clara could also work well. Try not to get too upset about the naming. I know it’s hard but you and your baby are well and you have time. A friend of mine settled on a name quite quickly then three months down the line they changed it. I’m sure you’ll come up with something that feels right 🙂

MyEasterEggs · 13/04/2022 14:59

How about Ella as a cross between the ‘el’ start and ‘ah’ end? Elena is also beautiful.

Ijustreallywantacat · 13/04/2022 14:44

babyname-app.com/

There’s this tinder like app, it alerts you when you get a match.

FeedMeSantiago · 13/04/2022 14:38

The only Sara I know pronounces it as Sarah so I would pick that and toss a coin for which spelling. If he compromises on pronouncing it as Sarah can you compromise on spelling it Sara?

Otherwise Anna or Anya might work or Elizabeth with Eliza as a nickname?

PollyPutTheKettleOnKettleOn · 13/04/2022 14:30

Eloise?

PollyPutTheKettleOnKettleOn · 13/04/2022 14:28

Claire / Clare
Clara
Isabel / Isobel
Michelle
Matilda
Juliette
Julitta
Zara
Serena
Anya
Ada
Beatrice
Lucy / Luci (or variant of eg Lucette, Lucia)
Dulcie
Alisa or Alyssa
Elisa
Ella
Helene / Helena
Ellora
Leonore
Adela
Mary / Marie / Maria
Flora
Esme
Esther
Estelle / Estella
Faye
Grace
Joan
Hera
Corryn
Roana

Original poster
New30 · 13/04/2022 14:24

I think probably the majority are right in that some form or Eliza/eleanor and Sara/Sarah is the right thing

OP posts:
AnnaSW1 · 13/04/2022 14:18

Surely you just go for Sarah. That's virtually the same name and your spelling has special meaning to you.

SLT2022 · 13/04/2022 14:17

If Sarah is important to you and he likes Sara why don't you spell it Sara but pronounce it Sarah?

JenniferBarkley · 13/04/2022 14:14

Your tastes really don't seem that far apart.

I think you should get a list of the top 100 names, and each select any that you could stomach at all. Then look for crossover and rank any on both lists.

Original poster
New30 · 13/04/2022 14:14

@TheDaydreamBelievers

You're both being pretty inflexible if you can't agree on Sarah/Sara! That's the same name!
My grandmother was Sarah. It is important to me. If not as first name as middle name.
OP posts:
toastofthetown · 13/04/2022 14:03

Those lists aren’t too far apart in style really. What would happen if you expanded to a top 25 each? Sarah/Sara and Eleanor/Eliza in particular are very similar to me. Could with of you compromise on a Sara(h) variant? Another El- name? Elena, Eliana, Elise, Ella, Eloise, Elodie?

bloominglovelyorange · 13/04/2022 14:00

You've got Sarah and he's got Sara listed - maybe you could toss a coin on that one?

GeminiTwin · 13/04/2022 14:00

I like his list.

Apart from Isaline. Sounds like Invisalign.

JustWhyy · 13/04/2022 13:59

Sara or Sarah then? Clearly!??

babyjellyfish · 13/04/2022 13:59

What about Anna?

It's almost like a cross between Aine and Alma, very plain and simple, very international.

To be honest, your lists don't seem wildly different in style so I'm surprised there is absolutely no crossover at all.

bloominglovelyorange · 13/04/2022 13:59

Elizabeth nn Eliza?

GeminiTwin · 13/04/2022 13:58

@Skelligsfeathers

I think you get to choose because you carried her for 9 months and gave birth to her.
Hmm
TheDaydreamBelievers · 13/04/2022 13:58

You're both being pretty inflexible if you can't agree on Sarah/Sara! That's the same name!

Suprima · 13/04/2022 13:52

Would he like Seraphina/Serafina?

You can always nn her Sera for short.

I prefer his list tbh.

Original poster
New30 · 13/04/2022 13:48

My list
Ruth
Jenny
Fern
Cora
Alice
Aine
Charlotte
Pippa
Sarah
Eleanor

His list
Alma
Celia
Clementine
Cleo
Darcy
Eliza
Fleur
Isaline
Josephine
Mabel
Penelope
Remi
Ren
Sara
Zoe

OP posts:
toastofthetown · 13/04/2022 13:37

Echo the suggestion for the Kinder app, or if that doesn’t work, you could each independently look through the top 200 names and mark ones you like, then se if there’s any crossover in that. If not, then you’ll both need to broaden your minds and start again.

No one parent (unless they are parenting alone) should get to unilaterally decide the baby’s name. Starting your parenting journey off with resentment and lack of compromise is a really bad idea.

Here are names I think which are simple and international:
Alice
Anna
Clara
Elizabeth
Freya
Nina
Stella
Tess
Vita

PollyPutTheKettleOnKettleOn · 13/04/2022 13:30

Can you share the top 20 names you've each vetoed?

Synchrony · 13/04/2022 13:28

I'd say try Kinder.
How about Genevieve, nn Jenny? That sounds beautiful in French.

Catherine? Also lovely in many other languages.

Or there is always Elizabeth and Margaret with scope for many, many short forms?